Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Moving for the Joy of It

I’ve stated the obvious before, move to keep moving. I keep moving even if I’m not improving. If I can slow the physical decline of Parkinson’s for yet another day, I call that success. This notion is measured with a self-deluding sliding scale, of course. Do I move today as well as I did yesterday? If I can say, “you bet!”, I’m happy.

I learned how to measure physical movement when I was in my 30’s. I took up running and discovered that I enjoyed it. I timed and recorded my workouts. With greater effort I showed improvement. I participated in competitions, where, although I was a middle of the pack runner, I raced against my own record and won. I had fun.

Inevitably, I posted a personal best that I never reached again. I aged. I didn’t stop running. I revised my goals to fit my capabilities. The joy of moving was reason enough to continue.

We know we’re going to have a personal best that we’ll never achieve again. All athletes pass their prime. I never mourned the passing of my fastest time. I accepted it as the natural progression of life.

I continue to define new challenges, and strive for new personal bests. Life is a mysterious adventure. P.D. does not change that.

About Me

In November 2008, Michael Spokane was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 52. In November 2010, he began writing about his experience with the disease in an effort to help himself and others.
Michael is interested in receiving and responding to your comments and feedback. Please feel free to join in.
Michael lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with his wife. He has two grown children. He had a career in general contracting and finish carpentry and specialized in historic restoration.